


The Storm That's Surely Coming

by Lucky107



Series: So Far From Your Weapon [1]
Category: Red Dead Redemption
Genre: Gen, Mysticism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 10:10:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17444897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucky107/pseuds/Lucky107
Summary: Dutch van der Linde is the first to spot Joaquina Diego in the storm.





	1. Chapter 1

"Jackrabbit."  
  
Dutch van der Linde is the first to spot Joaquina Diego in the storm.  
  
She reins in her Nokota in snow up to the nag's knees and, even through the blizzard, she spies a vein ready to pop in Dutch's broad forehead.  
  
"What's the word?"  
  
"No good," Joaquina relates as the horse becomes restless. "Heȟáka Sápa. Bad omen. Find another way."  
  
"We're too far up to turn back now, Jack," Dutch says, exasperated, and Joaquina can see an argument forming in his aged features. "What kind of 'bad omen' are we talking about here? We don't have any time to waste - Davey's dying, kid."  
  
"No 'moon and stars' bullshit," she insists. "It means something to those people."  
  
"'Those people?'" He inquires, a quirk stiffening his snowy brow.  
  
"Heȟáka Sápa, I said. The Black Elk Lakota."  
  
"Those are _your_ people," he corrects.  
  
It's a curious distinction for a wealthy white man to enforce, but then Dutch has always been a little bit of a curiosity.  
  
"They aren't—"  
  
"They _are_ ," he argues with a subtle gentleness that reins Joaquina in. "And they ought to be damn proud they share even _half_ of your blood, Jack. Don't you forget that."


	2. Chapter 2

The tap at the door is feather-light and nearly lost to the howls of the wind, and a lesser-trained ear would have missed it entirely. Hosea Matthews half turns in the creaky old chair and commands, "Get in here before you freeze to death."  
  
Dutch van der Linde is out, so he can be lenient about who he invites inside.  
  
It turns out to be Joaquina Diego.  
  
She shudders as she steps inside from the storm, her broad shoulders squared and her head dipped low in an effort to shrink her sizeable form. She closes the door behind herself, but it's a feeble attempt to escape from the weather for the old shack is full of holes.  
  
"Jackrabbit," he says, and he wastes no time beckoning for her to join him by the fire. "What brings you out at this hour? You could catch cold out there - though I suppose that ramshackle barn they've put you up in isn't much better."  
  
"I'm fine," she assures, rubbing her gloved hands together to create a bit of friction. "I saw a man."  
  
"A man?" Hosea asks, his tone dipping an octave lower as if said man might still be listening. "Where?"  
  
"I closed my eyes for only a moment and I saw him - Colm O'Driscoll."  
  
For a long moment there's no sound except for the cackling fire against the noisy winds.  
  
Hosea contemplates long and hard over what Joaquina has said, as if trying to decide whether or not to entertain her fantasy. Finally, he pinches the bridge of his nose to alleviate some of the mounting pressure in his head and invites, "Sit down, Jack."  
  
Joaquina does as she's told.  
  
"What, exactly, did the Heȟáka Sápa say to you?"  
  
" _Iya_."  
  
This time it's impossible for Hosea to mask his skepticism. " _Iya?_ "  
  
"Iya is not good," she explains. "The eye of the storm. There is trouble on the horizon, Mr. Matthews—"  
  
"Hey, everybody, Dutch is back!"  
  
The voice of Lenny Summers rouses Hosea from his seat by the fire and out into the storm, trudging knee-deep in snow in his bundle of warm furs. Even amid the whiteout he recognizes the frostbitten face of Dutch van der Linde in the dim lantern's glow. "How'd you get on?"  
  
"Micah found a homestead," Dutch relays as he dismounts his horse, but there's a darkness that lingers in his brooding eyes that's meant only for Hosea. "We weren't the first: Colm O'Driscoll and his scum, they beat us to it."  
  
The rest of the details are lost on the wind.  
  
Hosea looks around for Joaquina as if to confirm what he's just heard, but she's nowhere to be found.


End file.
